Category — Holy Spirit

How do we follow Jesus? God wants to change us. His plan for us is to transform us—to make us more like him, more like Jesus in character. As we have seen, his Holy Spirit plays a central role in bringing about this life change as he lives in us and communicates with us. Living and walking and communicating in relationship with him is essentially what it means to be a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ.

So, how do we follow Jesus Christ? To answer that question let’s look at what Jesus told those who wanted to be his disciples. Jesus told his listeners:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NLT) [Read more →]

What do we do with what God tells us? A couple of years ago a young man came to me in complete frustration and confusion about God’s leading in his life. Steve was totally convinced that God had told him to pursue a relationship with a certain young lady. (She is also a follower of Christ.) Steve’s frustration came when this young woman refused to enter into a romantic relationship with him. She simply had no such affections for him, nor felt God leading her the way Steve insisted God was leading him. This internal conflict went on for some months, during which I had several meetings with Steve.

Then one day, this young lady announced her engagement to another man and soon married. Steve was heart-broken over his loss, but even more difficult was his confusion and disappointment over God’s leading in his life. Did he or did he not hear God say, “Pursue this woman”? The outcome does not necessarily answer that question. And I could not tell Steve with certainty whether he had or had not heard God correctly or at all. [Read more →]

How do I recognize God’s voice? In 1 Samuel 3:1-14 we read the account of young Samuel’s first exposure to the voice of God. The Lord called to him and twice Samuel mistook God’s voice for that of Eli the priest. The text comments, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” (Vs. 7)
 
We hear many “voices” out there besides God’s. We often find ourselves lured by the voice of world—its philosophy, thought patterns and priorities. Others with whom we spend time influence us profoundly by their language, cajoling and opinions. The evil one rails on us by accusing, discouraging and casting doubt. Our own fleshly desires call to us to self-preoccupation, self-gratification and self-importance. Sometimes a foreign thought simply appears in our mind and we wonder, “Where did that come from?” [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit explains the Scriptures to us. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit authored the Scriptures to be read and understood. He delights in making himself known to us through his Word.

There are a variety of ways in which the Holy Spirit explains the Bible to us. Sometimes he gives us the ability to suddenly grasp the meaning of a passage, which had confused us before. Such an experience seems primarily cognitive in nature, but may have far reaching relational impact as well. I say that because we’re not merely seeking an intellectual thrill in understanding a new thing from the Bible. The Bible is very intellectually stimulating, but that’s a by-product not the goal. Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Ephesians 1:17) [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit transforms us.  On the face of it we may not think of the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in us as relational and requiring communication. But if we reflect on what it is that Christ wants to change in us, we realize that the changes are predominantly character issues. God’s plan for us is to make us more like Christ in character. “Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)

The point is that these character issues (Christlikeness) have primarily to do with relationships—those with God and with others. Even a speedy review of key passages like Romans 12:3-15:7; Galatians 5:22-23 (the fruit of the Spirit); Ephesians 4:17-5:33; and Colossians 3:12-4:6 reveal that the nature of the transformation God wants to bring about in us is profoundly relational. As his children we are to imitate him (Ephesians 5:1). [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit enables us to think like Christ. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Paul lays out an incredible truth for us. To paraphrase this passage, Paul says, “No other person knows my thoughts. In the same way, only God knows his thoughts. But since the Holy Spirit is God, he knows the thoughts of God. And God has given us his Spirit, so that we too can know God’s thoughts!” And then Paul summarizes with the bold statement, “We have the mind of Christ.” This truth is highly relational and highly communicative. This fact stands at the core of Paul’s assertion.

I think I speak for all followers of Christ when I say that we don’t always feel like we have the mind of Christ. We tend to judge the veracity of something based on our experience. When we don’t experience having the mind of Christ (or what we assume that is) we either argue that Paul must not have really meant that we have the mind of Christ. Or we conclude that we must have some deficiency that prevents us from knowing the mind of Christ. Either way, we assume we don’t really experience having the mind of Christ. [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit comforts, encourages and confirms us. Observe from the following texts all the ways that the Holy Spirit relates with us and communicates with us. Romans 5:5 encourages, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” And Romans 8:26 explains, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Paul speaks the following blessing in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Hope is not merely a warm feeling that comes over us from some stimulant. The Holy Spirit speaks hope into our lives by confirming God’s love and promises for us. [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit sometimes gives us a prophetic word. In Acts 21:10-11, a prophet named Agabus approached Paul, symbolically took Paul’s belt and with it tied his own hands and feet. Then Agabus declared, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” This prophecy was fulfilled just days later as we read in Acts 21:27 and following verses.

Perhaps the truly interesting thing about this prophetic word is the two differing responses it generated. Luke records that Agabus and the other listeners “pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:12). But Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Was Paul wrong in going to Jerusalem? I don’t think so. [Read more →]

The Holy Spirit guides us. We find an unusual example of this with Paul and his companions in Acts 16:6-7, they had been “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.”

When my wife and I moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 2002 it was an especially difficult move for her. We were moving very far away from our children and grandchildren. We have always been a close-knit family, so being separated by such distance was particularly hard. Also, Alaska comes with its own unique set of challenges including long, dark winters and short, cool summers. So when I accepted the job in Anchorage, Linda graciously committed to staying up to five years. I agreed to these terms. [Read more →]

In Acts 8:29 we read, “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’” And Philip led this Ethiopian official to the Lord. The Holy Spirit gave special instructions to Ananias in Acts 9:10-16 when he told him to go pray for Saul. We find another example in Acts 10:19-20, “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’”

Some years ago, my wife and I were leading a small group in our home. The group had been meeting for about a year. Randy and Debbie were part of our small group. They had been married about seven years at the time and were unable to have children. From time to time throughout that year we had prayed for them that they might have a child, but as of yet they had not. [Read more →]